The Central Crime Branch (CCB) cybercrime police have detained two persons for questioning in connection with allegedly defamatory videos targeting former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that were circulated on social media.

The two suspects were picked up as part of the investigation into the alleged creation and circulation of the videos and are being questioned to ascertain their source.

Mr. Siddaramaiah had lodged a complaint with Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, alleging that fake and malicious videos were being circulated on social media to tarnish his reputation. He had also submitted details, including the IDs of social media accounts allegedly involved in spreading the content.

The Police Commissioner referred the complaint to the CCB Cyber Crime Police Station, where a case was registered. Investigators are now attempting to identify those who created the videos, trace the accounts that circulated them, and ascertain whether others were involved in a coordinated effort.

The police are examining the digital trail, including the IP addresses linked to prominent social media accounts that shared the videos, to identify those operating them and determine the origin of the content.

On Tuesday, Mr. Siddaramaiah secured an injunction restraining media organisations, including social media platforms, from circulating the allegedly defamatory videos. He had also sought police action against those responsible for what he described as false propaganda.

Govt. targeting JD(S) members: HDK

Meanwhile, Union Minister and JD (S) State President H.D. Kumaraswamy alleged that those detained by police were JD(S) social media team members. “Shankar, who works with our social media team, was taken away by the police today without any case being registered against him. I have also received reports that another team member, Mohan, and his family are being harassed. Why are these young people being targeted, and under what authority?”, he wondered in a social media post. “The person alleged to have carried out the sting operation and recorded footage intended to malign former CM Siddaramaiah has not faced the same scrutiny, while those questioning the episode are being pursued. This raises serious questions about the government’s priorities,” he said.

“I will not be intimidated for questioning a suspected honey-trap conspiracy involving senior Congress leaders. Instead of answering serious questions, the government appears to be targeting the young members of our JD(S) social media team,” he remarked.